1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to progressive systems for gaming. More particularly, this invention relates to a shared progressive gaming system and method which allows a plurality of players to share a progressive prize.
2. The Prior Art
Progressive systems for gaming environments such as casinos are known. A typical progressive system arrangement includes a plurality of gaming devices, such as slot machines, video poker machines, video keno machines, video lottery machines, each linked for communication with a central progressive controller. A wager is made to play the game associated with the gaming devices. For each wager made at the gaming devices, a portion is used to fund a progressive prize which is maintained and accumulated by the progressive controller. The progressive prize is then awarded to a player upon the occurrence of a triggering win event, either determined pursuant to play on the gaming device or by some other criteria, such as according to a random determination by the progressive controller. Since the triggering win event for awarding the progressive prize occurs infrequently, the progressive prize generally accumulates to a large sum. As a result, players are attracted to playing the gaming devices in order to win the large progressive prize, thereby increasing game play and therefore overall revenue for the casino operator.
Efforts to improve this general scheme for paying a progressive prize have been attempted to further increase player interest. An example improvement arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,700 to Celona. In the Celona progressive method, a progressive jackpot is paid proportionally to eligible players at each of the linked gaming machines. The eligibility of players to share in the progressive jackpot may be conditioned upon “playing a maximum bet” within a “predetermined time interval before the progressive jackpot-winning outcome occurs.” Payment of the progressive jackpot may be divided equally among all eligible players, or may be paid proportionally (e.g., the player at the machine that generated the progressive jackpot-winning outcome may receive a greater proportion (such as half) of the jackpot, or the proportion of the jackpot paid to each of the players may be adjusted in accordance with the contribution of each machine to the progressive jackpot sum).
While the payout method of Celona may foster increased participation and play form players, there are several drawbacks. First, the motivation for winning a large progressive jackpot is diminished, even where as in Celona “the player at the machine that generated the progressive jackpot-winning outcome may receive a greater proportion.” This diminished motivation arises from the fact that the player perceives that he or she will have to “share” the displayed or advertised jackpot with other players. Players prefer playing for a large life-changing jackpot, and the sharing of the jackpot, even where the player receives a greater proportion, reduces the overall player interest.
Additionally, the incentive for remaining eligible to share in the jackpot is inadequate in the Celona implementation. For example, one way to determine eligibility is for the central controller to determine the interval between the time of play initiation on the gaming device and the time of the jackpot-winning outcome; if the time interval is less than the predetermined interval for jackpot eligibility, then the player qualifies to share in the jackpot. However, Celona carries out this calculation after the jackpot-winning outcome has already occurred. There are not indicators or cues provided to the player to encourage the player to remain eligible prior to the jackpot-winning outcome. Absent such indicators and cues, players are less informed and are less likely to satisfy the requirement of remaining eligible. This problem results in decreased play and lost revenues for the operator.
Accordingly, there remains a need for further increased player participation in progressive payout arrangements. The present invention satisfies these needs, as well as others, and generally overcomes the deficiencies found in the background art.